Massif Central - Lonely Planet

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Massif Central
POP 1.34 MILLION
Includes 
Clermont-Ferrand. . . . 539
Vichy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
Parc Naturel Régional
des Volcans
d’Auvergne. . . . . . . . . . 547
Volvic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
Puy de Dôme . . . . . . . 547
Le Mont-Dore . . . . . . . 548
Parc Naturel Régional
Livradois-Forez. . . . . . 553
Le Puy-en-Velay . . . . . 555
Gorges de l’Allier . . . . 560
La Montagne
Protestante. . . . . . . . . 560
Best Places to Eat
¨¨Maki Nova (p559)
¨¨La Golmotte (p550)
¨¨Les Caudalies (p546)
¨¨Chez Laurette (p552)
¨¨Le Sisisi (p542)
Why Go?
In one of the wildest, emptiest and least-known corners of
France, the Massif Central, you can feel nature’s heavy machinery at work. Below ground, hot volcanic springs bubble
up to supply Vichy and Volvic with their famous mineral
waters, while high in the mountains trickling streams join
forces to form three of France’s mightiest rivers: the Dordogne, the Allier and the Loire.
The Massif Central and surrounding Auvergne region remains deeply traditional. Reliant on agriculture and cattle
farming, it shelters the country’s largest area of protected
landscape with two huge regional parks: the Parc Naturel
Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne and its neighbour, the Parc
Naturel Régional Livradois-Forez. On-tap outdoor activities
include heady hiking trails, plunging ski slopes, paragliding
off shapely volcanic summits, and setting off on an age-old
pilgrimage – sustained by some of the halest, heartiest food
in France.
When to Go
Clermont-Ferrand
°C/°F Temp
Rainfall Inches/mm
40/104
6/150
30/86
5/125
4/100
20/68
3/75
10/50
Best Places to
Stay
2/50
0/32
-10/14
1/25
0
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
¨¨Le Chastel Montaigu (p551)
¨¨Auberge d’Aijean (p552)
¨¨Hôtel Saluces (p553)
¨¨Hôtel Notre Dame (p548)
¨¨Le Moulin Ferme-Auberge
(p560)
Jun Experience
the region’s hiking
trails in their
full springtime
splendour.
Dec–Mar Max out
on winter sports
at Le Mont-Dore or
catch ClermontFerrand’s shortfilm festival.
Aug See sacred
Vierges Noires
(Black Madonnas)
paraded on Assumption Day.
D
40 km
20 miles
·
/
N145
A ll i e r
A71
igoin
D
#
\
Chaufailles \
#
àD
#
8\
#
Vichy
Gannat
CREUSE
SAÔNEET-LOIRE
ne
0̧
ALLIER
Montluçon
e Roan
#
\
Guéret
(9km)
Moulins
(13km)
C anal d
538
e
# 00
Aubusson
#
\
D
#
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#
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3 Clermont#
D906
Ferrand
#
÷
#
Condat \
Parc Naturel
Régional des
Volcans d'Auvergne
D922
0̧
D680
#
\
#
\
Col de Serre CANTAL
Salers
(1364m)
#
2\
#
Murat
Puy Rc
A75
#
\
Mary
(1787m)
R
Plomb du
#
\
Cantal
nt
(1855m) St-Flour
sd
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Massiac
0̧
N102
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la
Tr
uy
D921
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D590
N9
·
/
La
M
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AVEYRON
#
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ide
de
Peyre
(1179m)
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ar
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0̧
N88
·
/
Le Puyen-Velay
#
\
7
t
Lo
LOT
HAUTELOIRE
Langeac
Mende \
#
D
Lyon
(40km)
La ChaiseDieu
D15
·
/
Go
N122
#
\
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Tr
#
\
0̧
#
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Ambert
M
0̧
Montbrison
St-Étienne \
#
Firminy
#
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Brioude
·
/
N120
#
\
N89
·
/
#
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0̧
Mauriac
0̧
Feurs
A72
·
/
#
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ez
or
CORRÈZE
#
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uF
#
\
N7
/
·
·
/
N82
LOIRE
Col de
St-GervaisGuéry c
t
sous-Meymont
on \
St-Nectaire
#
#
La Bourboule \
6
M
#
#
\
#
\
4
#
÷
#
D996 \
Le Mont- R Murol
#
Issoire Parc Naturel
Dore Puy de
Régional
Sancy
du Livradois(1885m)
Forez
Ussel
Do
rd
o
ore
sD
#
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5
#
Thiers
sd
nt
Mo
M as si f C e ntr a l C en t ral H i ghl i gh t s
A72
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mes Volcan de
DôR
Lemptégy
æVulcania
#
Orcival
÷
#
#
\
n ts
Mo
Puy de #
1 R
Dôme
Parc Naturel
Régional de
Millevaches
en Limousin
e
gn
Riom
#
\
N141
N89
·
/
A89
·
/
RHÔNE
re
0̧
Limoges
(50km)
PUY-DEDÔME
#
\
i
Lo
use
Cre
Roanne
La Montagne
Protestante
#
\
9
#
Le Chambonsur-Lignon
R
Mt Mézenc
(1753m)
#
\
Langogne
ARDÈCHE
0̧ Aubenas
N102
Lot
Massif Central Highlights
1 Scaling the panoramic
summit of Puy de Dôme
(p547) on foot or the cog
railway
4 Schussing down slopes
or riding the century-old
funicular to mountaintop trails
in Le Mont-Dore (p548)
7 Climbing the staircase to
2 Swooning over pastures
5 Watching artisans at work
8 Soaking up the mineralrich spa waters in belle époque
Vichy (p543)
3 Marvelling at the
6 Meeting the cows who
make one of France’s most
famous AOC cheeses at StNectaire (p551)
9 Exploring an Auvergnat
and rugged volcanic scenery
around Salers (p553)
Michelin brothers’ influence
at the Michelin museum in
Clermont-Ferrand (p539)
at Musée de la Coutellerie in
Thiers (p554)
the cave chapel of St-Michel
d’Aiguilhe, atop a pinnacle in
Le Puy-en-Velay (p555)
village’s proud WWII Resistance
history in Le-Chambon-surLignon (p560)
#
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